Fluid elevating and feeding means



Oct. 9, 1928.. 1,686,887

' L. E. VAN HlsE FLUID ELEVATNG AND FEEDNG MEANS Original Filed May 12,1925 LE5Er E'. Van His@ afferma Patented Urt. 9, 1928.

UNlTED STATES PATENT oFFlcE.

LESTER E. VAN HISE, OF ALTADEN A, CALFOBNIA, ASSIGNOR TO JAMES V.BALDWIN,

OF LOS ANGELES, CALFOR-NA.

FLUID ELEVATING AND FEEDING MEANS.

Original applicationy filed May 12, 1925, Serial. No. 29,8524. Divided`and this application led Serial No. 295,466.

This invention relates to fluid elevating and feeding means, and has forits object the provision of a device of this character which isadaptable for pumping from a source of supply any form of fluid desired.Other objects of the invention will appeal1 as the description proceeds.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary view, certain parts being in section, of myimproved fluid and elevating means considered in itsentirety, incombination with a source of liquid sup` ply and the member towhich saidfluid is pumped. 1

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary viewv of a modification of the pump member; anc

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view of a valve element used in practicingthe invention, the said view being taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

Corresponding parts in all the figures are v designated by the samereference characters.

Referring to the drawing the adaptation' of the means may be appliedwherever it is desired to boost fluid or cause the flow of a fluid froma given point to a given point and so. where it is necessary to use aptnnping` element to cause said flow. In particular the fluid elevatingand feeding means may be designated as an entirely by A in Figure 1,`

residing in the method of heatingthe same,`

the said pump d is of relatively diminutive character and has thecharacteristics of a bot-- tle, being open at one end and closed at theother, and therefore may bey vconvenient-ly characterized as a bottlelike pump member. ln Fig. l1 the numeral 1 represents tank which maycontain some liquid such as gasoline, and a feeding pipe 2 leads fromsaid tank to a valve element c and from said 'valve element through asuitable pipe 3 to the pump a.

Leading from said pump is a pipe l which connects with a second valveelement c and from said valve element through a pipe 5 July 26,

to a storage tank 6. Thepump a may include a casing member'7 closed atone end as S and screw-threaded exteriorly as at 9 adjacent its openmouth. A member 10. is internally threaded as at 11 for reception on thethreaded part 9 of the casing 7, and said member 10 is provided with twoannular members 12 and 13 adapted to receive and confine ends of thepipes 3 and 4. The top 111 of the member 10 is provided with an openingthrough which projects a screw 15, and said screw normally supports anelement el within the casing 7. The element Z may. comprise a tubularmember 16 closed at one end by means of a plug 17, said plug beingannular in formation and screw-threaded on its inner surface forreception of the screwsthreaded portion of the screw 15. In the showingthe yplug 17 is retained in the tubular member 16 by a pin 18 passingthrough said tubular member and engagingthe plug 17. One end of saidtubular member 16, the lower end, is open. And insulating casing 19surrounds the tubular member 16 and coiled about said insulating' casingis an electrical conductor 20. Each end of the electrical conductor 20passes through an insulating bushing 21 and 22 in the casing 7, and thesaid electrical conductors connect with a source of electrical currentsupply 6 there being a switch element f in the electrical circuit. Ifdesired, some form of rheostat might be provided in the electricalcurrent so as to regulate the current flowing within the coil 2Osurrounding the element CZ, or taps may be taken as shown at 22 wherebydifferent Zones of the member Z may be heated.

The valve elements e and c are identical in form, and consequently onlyone -of said elements will be described. The let-ters of referenceapplying to the one, likewise apply to the other, and said valveelements c and 0 include an annular body member 23 ha a reducedexternally threaded member 2A with a cap member 25, carrying an end ofthe pipes 5 or 3, screw-threaded upon the threads of the part 211. Theannular por# tion of the body 23 is enlarged at the part 26 and saidpart is screw-threaded internally for a portionas at 27. A flanged nut28 is received within the body 23' at the screwthreaded portion 27, anda second cap member 29, carrying an end of the pipes 3 and 4i, isscrew-threaded upon the threads 3f) of the nut.' 'The chamber -of thebody 23 is provided with a series of half bores 3l and a small disc 32is normally conhned within said chamber for .closing at times theannular opening 33 in the nut 28.

rlhe operation of the device is as follows:

Assuming that the tank is filled with some fluid, such as gasolii'ie,and that the apparatus including the pump a is fully primed, the switchy may be placed in position so as to close an eletrical circuit throughthe coil 20 from the source of current supply e, and the coil 2() willbecome heated and in turn communicate its heat to the interior of thecasing 7 and likewise heat the tubular element fl.

When the apparatus is fully primed, the heating of thebot-tle-like pumpelement will rapidly vap-orize the fluid therein with the result ofvaporizing the same and placing pressure therein which will expel fiuidupwardly past the check valve c', and this vaporization and expulsion ofliquid' will con tinue until the pressure above the intake check valve cis less than atmospheric pressure above the fluid supply in the tank lwith which the pipe 2 connects. l/Vhen such differential pressureoccurs, atmospheric pressure will force a quantity of liquid past thecheck valve c intothe outer shell 7 of the pump thereby causing rapidcondensa tion due to the cooling effect of the incoming fluid, therebyintensifying the vacuum. That condition necessarily provides the forcefor drawing into the pump chamber a fresh supply of fluid from theintake pipe 2, and that fresh supply of fluid is in turn vapor ized andexpelled in the manner already described. The operation repeats itselfso as to give a distinct pulsation or pumping action that will pump thefluid in a substantially continuous stream into the container 6 whichreceives the same.

llilith reference to the member d it is pointed out that this member isprimarily instrumental in effecting the pumping action previouslydescribed. rl`hat is to say when the device is properly primed withliquid fuel the lower `open end of Z is submerged in the liquid fuel andthe space in the member Z above the fuel and below the member l?constitutes a vapor trap in which the vapor collects (upon theapplication of heat) and when the vapor-ization of the gasoline or othervolatile liquid has accumulated sufficiently in the member Z it willexpand and push out the fuel between the outer side of the member Z andthe inner side of the casing 7.

The inertia and momentum in theV moving column of fluid is sufficient tocarry the liquid out to suoli a point that the pressure in chamber a isreduced below atmospheric pressure whereupon gasoline will be forced inthrough the pipe 3. The incoming gasoline being cold will condense thevapor within the member Z whereupon the entire device will be filledwith gasoline ready for vthe next pulsation. It may be pointed out thatthe operation of the device involves. two cycles, first a dischargecycle vand then an intake cycle. lVhen the pump is primed so that liquidfills the so-called casing 7 to the proper point, the liquid fuel willenter the kmouth of the member CZ up to a. point where itis held back bythe air trapped within the member al. When heat is applied to the pumpthe gasoline or other fuel becomes vaporized and the space above thegasoline which seals the open end of el, accumulates vapor underpressure until the pressure becomes strong enough to let go and push thegasoline out between the walls of the member-fl and the casing 7, aspreviously explained.

When the pressure inthe vapor has eX- pended itself and moved itsincrement of fluid forward,.a partial vacuum is formed in the member Zwhich tends to pull in fresh fuel through the supply line. Such fuelbeing cool intensifies the vacuum as eX- plained, and greatly assists inthe pumping action.

The modification of the device shown in Fig. 2 consists in ceiling theconductor 20 about the outside of the casing? i'n place of coiling itabout the element cl. rlhe results obtained, however, are the same. Byfluting or relieving or half-boring, as it might be termed, portions ofthe wall surrounding the annular chamber 26, any fluid flowing throughthe opening 33 may escape past the disc 32 by raising said disc. Asshown by the drawing' the disc normally closes the opening' 83 andprevents any liquid from passing back through the member c or c into thepipes 4l or 3 respectively.

It is obvious that various changes and modifications may be made indeparture from the particular description and showing of theaccompanying drawing in adapting the invention to Varying conditions andrequirements of use and service, without departing from the true spiritof the invention and scope of the appended claims.

Having thus disclosed my invention, I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent:

l. A device of the character disclosed, including two concentric tubularmembers and a wire coil surrounding oneof said members for heating saidmember upon electri'fying the wire coil; the inner tubular member beinghermetically closed at one end and the other tubular member being formedwith a hermetically closed base portion, said inner tubular memberhaving its open end directed toward and spaced from the base portion;and valve controlled means connected to the open end of said othermember to conduct liquid to and from said members.

2. A fluid pumping apparatus including a bottlelike pump elementcomprising Leasing open `at one end and hermeticaily closed at theother, a second member Within sai'dicasing 5 for regulating theexpansion of liquid therein, a valved feed line connected to and outsideof the open end of the pump casing,

with said pump element.

In testimony whereof, Il have signed my name to this specification. f

LESTER E. VAN HISE.

